TRENTON, NJ (MERCER)–Elon Musk Tweeted, “New Twitter policy is freedom of speech, but not freedom of reach.” after MidJersey.News received a notice from Twitter stating MidJersey.News account features have been limited for 3 days due to violations of Twitter Spam Policy. MidJersey.news has not Tweeted any spam messages and has reached out to Twitter technical support for clarification.
Musk has also Tweeted, “As Twitter pursues the goal of elevating citizen journalism, media elite will try everything to stop that from happening”
“Mainstream media will still thrive, but increased competition from citizens will cause them to be more accurate, as their oligopoly on information is disrupted” — Elon Musk
This is the opposite of what has occurred in regard to MidJersey.News feature ban notice that was received this morning.
Elon Musk has also Tweeted that “Kathie Griffin, Jorden Peterson & Babylon Bee have been reinstated.”
So it could be that Twitter’s automated content filters has picked up on certain key words that has squelched out free speech of MidJersey.News and other news sites.
MidJersey.News has reached out to Twitter and Elon Musk via Twitter but has not received a reply about the 3-day account features ban.
MidJersey.news covers local news across the center/mid point, of New Jersey from Trenton to the Jersey Shore.
New Twitter policy is freedom of speech, but not freedom of reach.
Negative/hate tweets will be max deboosted & demonetized, so no ads or other revenue to Twitter.
You won’t find the tweet unless you specifically seek it out, which is no different from rest of Internet.
Mainstream media will still thrive, but increased competition from citizens will cause them to be more accurate, as their oligopoly on information is disrupted
Another “News” site has used a stolen photo and this time from Ryan Mack from Jersey Shore Fire Response who is a frequent contributor to MidJersey.News. Ryan was out on Island Beach State Park last night at Area 22 and brought us photos of a search for a missing swimmer. Several of those photos were posted early this morning on MidJersey.News and also Jersey Shore Fire Response. It was later discovered that a photo looking similar posted to MidJersey.News was cropped to remove watermarking and copyright marks to the Facebook site Jersey Coast Emergency News Ryan Mack the photographer and copyright owner sent the site a message that it was his photograph.
Midjersey.News did a comparison and cropped the photo and obviously it was Ryan’s. If another person was the photographer they would have to take the photograph over Ryan’s shoulders and at the exact same second. Ryan said he was the only news media out there at the time of the search and there was no one next to him at the time.
MidJersey.News posted the composite photo below to the Jersey Coast Emergency News Facebook site and after about two hours we received a reply, “we were sent this photo on our tip line.” and my reply was, “Someone stealing Ryan’s photo does not give you permission to use it.”
Since that post we did receive communication from Jersey Coast Emergency News and feel that they were sent the photo by someone who said they took the photo saying it was theirs and that person said it was also ok to use. The photograph was then posted on their Facebook page. Jersey Coast Emergency News said they had no way of verifying the photographer at the time and had to take that person’s word for it.
Also, to add to the confusion some departments share the photos and take screen shots of photos and remove the watermarks, share and post as their own. Other media sites see these photos posted on department websites social media and then use the photos on their news websites and give credit to the department when the department did not even take the photo and had no permission to use the photograph.
It is going to be future MidJersey.News policy to increase watermarking strength and move the watermarking towards the center of the photo. It is going to be an annoyance to many readers but since we keep running across this problem on multiple sites and platforms it has come down to this. Also, in the past we have had to file at least four YouTube copyright strikes against videos that were downloaded then reshared as other person’s work.
We have asked in the past if you do share the photos on your personal, department or other social media, do not cut the watermark off. Since that does not seem to be working out and photos are shared without credit or permission, the watermark strength will be increased, and location will be more towards the center of the posted photographs.
Share links and photos on your own social media or department website, do not crop to cut the watermark off and give MidJersey.News and photographer the credit with at least hyperlink.
Original photo by: Ryan Mack, Jersey Shore Fire Response – MidJersey.News that was posted early this morning.
ROBBINSVILLE, NJ (MERCER)–In 2021 MidJersey.news experienced another year of growth with 4,389,374 views with 1,236,763 visitors to the main MidJersey.news The numbers do not include social media views such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
In 2021 MidJersey.news had 4,389,374 views with 1,236,763 to the main MidJersey.news site. Those numbers do not include social media.
2021 Year in review:
Top story of the year was Ed Forchion, NJ Weedman opening his First Citizen Dispensary in Trenton on January 1, 2021:
Project Freedom opened Freedom Village in Town Center South in Robbinsville, celebrated the 30th Anniversary of Project Freedom 1 in Robbinsville and broke ground in Hamilton Township for another location across from Hamilton Police Department:
In Trenton the old Department of Health and Agriculture buildings were demolished: According to Preservation New Jersey the buildings were built in 1962 – 1963 and designed by Alfred Clauss and Jane West Clauss, husband and wife architects. There are two pre-cast concrete buildings, one cylindrical and one cubed, connected by steel-and-glass pedestrian sky bridges.
The City of Trenton tied the all-time murder rate set in 2020 with 40 again for 2021. Mercer County murders have also reached an all-time high of 49 in 2021:
ROBBINSVILLE, NJ (MERCER)–In its first full year of publishing, MidJersey.News reports 3,814,106 page views, 1,328,823 visitors with 2.87 average page views per visitor, and 1,707 posts published in 2020.
Other ways to follow MidJersey.News other than the main website is to sign up to follow the page “blog” on the right side of the home page. Currently there are 2,233 people signed up to receive instant emails every time a story is posted.
We do share and post some content that is not on the main website so make sure you follow our Facebook and Twitter below, don’t forget to retweet and share stories
Fire Chief Mark Antozzeski (Fire District 9) retired on January 31, 2020. Fire Captain Arron Heller was promoted to Fire Chief
March 17, 2020
Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic most St. Patrick’s Day Parades were canceled. A few gathered on the steps of Hamilton Township Station 17 to play a couple of numbers socially distanced.
The Windsor School in the Windsor section of Robbinsville was demolished to make way for housing and a park.
May 17, 2020
Dennis Symons Jr., CPP., M. Photog., (PPA Certified Professional Photographer and Master Photographer) reviewed how angles and lens techniques were used to distort overcrowding stories used nationally.
Actual side angle with a normal sized lens shows that for the most part people were following the 6 foot social distancing rule.
May 22, 2020
Veterans saved the tradition organizing flags to be placed at BG Doyle Veterans Cemetery the event was originally canceled by Governor Murphy’s lock down orders but veterans groups saved the tradition.
A little over a 1,000 people turned out at a rally in Point Pleasant, NJ to protest Governor Murphy’s lock down orders.
May 31, 2020
MidJersey.news was in Trenton covering the Black Lives Matter protest at the State House and was also there when the protest turned violent around dark with looting, burning and violence in the City of Trenton.
Looting at the CVS and Trenton officials press conference about the violence in the City.
A large Black Lives Matter peaceful protest was held at the NJ State House on May 31, 2020 that turned violent around dark.
Violence in the City of Trenton May 31, 2020 started around dark and continued all night.
June 7, 2020
MidJersey.news reported that an tragic early morning accident involving a horse transport truck ran off the roadway and caught fire killing 10 horses en route from Florida to NY on the NJ Turnpike. This unfortunate National story was also picked up by the NY Times and NY Post and shared Internationally.
A New Jersey State Trooper is lucky to be alive after a dump truck crashed a traffic scene on the NJ Turnpike, hit is police vehicle and a Porsche. The trooper, driver of the dump truck, and the driver of a Porsche all sustained moderate injuries and were transported to an area hospital. There were no other occupants in the three vehicles. The inner roadway was closed for approximately six hours.
“Salute To The Great Cities Of The American Revolution” as seen from the hill at the East Windsor Cemetery looking towards Hightstown and Robbinsville.
July 7, 2020
NJ Motor Vehicle Commission melts down with backlogs and long lines after being closed for COVID-19 for so long and many people needing to process documents in person.
Hamilton Township Photojournalist Tyler Eckel, 17 from Hamilton High School West has been in line since 5:30 am waiting for his 1st drivers license with his twin brother Kyle Eckel, and friend Devin Gonzalez 17, also of Hamilton.
August 18, 2020
MidJersey.news broke the story ahead of other media outlets about the ATM Santander Scam in the area.
On September 6, 2020 MidJersey.news reported that the NJ Turnpike Authority removed American Flags on bridges and installed metal signs stating “Placement of signage or items of any nature on this structure is strictly prohibited.” A peaceful protest was held in Sewaren, Woodbridge Township, NJ protesting the removal of American Flags from bridges on the New Jersey Turnpike.Governor Murphy directed the Turnpike Authority to stop removing the flags and the Robbinsville Police PBA #344 rehung the flags on area bridges on September 11, 2020
All 9 Hamilton Township Fire Districts were dissolved and consolidated under Hamilton Township and as of January 1, 2021 the departments will be administered by Hamilton Township. The department will be known as the Division of Fire, Hamilton Township, more commonly known as the Hamilton Township Fire Department.
Two children were murdered in ongoing violence in the City of Trenton. As of December 31, 2020 at the time of this report there have been an all time high of 40 murders in Trenton in 2020.
A little over 3 weeks without a murder in the City of Trenton. As of 12:00 noon December 31, 2020 the number of murders in the City stands at 40 which is an all time high.
ROBBINSVILLE, NJ (MERCER)–MidJersey.News sees another month of increased growth in June with 869,660 page views and 255,402 visitors. The average page view per visitor was 3.41 and 184 posts (stories) published in June.
On Facebook from July 3 to June 30 there were 36,600 people reached, with 28,900 people engaged in the posts. In June 193 more people followed MidJersey.News on Facebook.
Some people like to get MidJersey.News by e-mail and 1,357 are subscribed to receive instant emails when stories are posted. Some prefer to read MidJersey.News by email and 249,688 emails were sent to those subscribers.
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ROBBINSVILLE, NJ (MERCER)—MidJersey.news continues to grow since being made public on election night November 2019.
May 2020 has seen 209,982 page views and 76,142 visitors.
With only 6 days into June so far, as of 9 am 170,534 page views with 55,591 visitors.
Help increase traffic to the website by sharing articles you like or find interesting.
You can help support MidJersey.News by clicking on ads and visiting some of the great advertisers we have. There is an advertisement at the bottom of each article and in each e-mail you receive. There is a lot of expense running a news site that covers so much so do your part click on and do a quick visit to the advertisers. We are also working on local advertising sponsorship starting around $100 per month and also a possible donation site to keep MidJersey.News moving. More about that to be released soon.
MidJersey.news can’t be everywhere at once so if you would like to send in your school or organizations information click on the contact link in the top bar. A timely story and clear photos help get your school or organization more exposure. With covid-19 a lot of events are not announced to the public and space is limited so send in your stuff.
MidJersey.news social media also continues to grow. A Facebook Live video from Hightstown New Jersey has been viewed 46,800 times:
MidJersey.News stats for May and June (as of 9 am June 6)
ROBBINSVILLE, NJ (MERCER)–In the month of April MidJersey.News has seen another month of continuous growth. In April alone there were 174,541 views and 49,114 visitors to the website with an average of 3.55 views per visitor.
You can help MidJersey.News by clicking on advertisements and visiting advertisers on the website. Every click helps and the site does not see funding until you visit on of the great advertisers on the website.
If you own a business or would like to advertise soon there will be advertising options to help fund the website. Within the next month there will also be a crowd funding option to help fund the website to help pay for equipment and other items needed to run the website.
For news stories, tips, or submissions click on the “contact” link on the top bar of the page. We will email you back with an e-mail address. This is done to keep spam out of the email box.
The website was made public on election night Tuesday November 5, 2019 has since published 591 posts relevant to the MidJersey region.
Performance Supply, LLC of Manalapan, NJ has no relation to “Performance Screen Supply” also of Manalapan, NJ
By: Dennis Symons, Jr.
MANALAPAN, NJ (MONMOUTH)–On April 10, 2020 MidJersey.news brought you a story about a company who was allegedly price gouging New York City for N95 masks made by the 3M Company. Since that time Internet sleuths, haters, arm chair quarterbacks and social media trouble makers took out their hate on a business in the same town with a similar sounding name.
For all the haters you are accusing the wrong business, if you Google Performance Supply Manalapan you get a similar sounding company https://www.performancescreen.com/(note this is the good guy) Performance Screen Supply 600 Park Ave Suite 100 Manalapan, NJ 07726
Performance Screen Supply of Manalapan, NJ has nothing to do with the 3M lawsuit on N95 masks. There is a similar sounding name of another company that happens to be in the same town with a different address. Photos from Performance Screen Supply Facebook.
As accurately reported by Midjersey.news here is the company involved in the lawsuit from the April 10, 2020 story:
“On information and belief, Defendant Performance Supply, LLC is a New Jersey limited liability company, with a principal place of business at Westbrook Way, Manalapan, New Jersey 07726.” —-Note MidJersey.news removed the house number from the location.
People are assuming that if you just “Google” a name and it comes out similar it has to be the same business or person. They are wrong and need to do their fact checking from a number of sources not just “Google”
After I posted the story to Facebook and defended the accuracy of the MidJersey.news story of the name of the business on the “Monmouth County News” Facebook Group I received this message from Bob the owner of Performance Screen Supply of Manalapan:
As a news person you want to have your facts before posting and I was accused of being inaccurate by posters on the “Monmouth County News” Facebook group.
One poster has since removed the posts where I defended the name of the business because it sounded different with different addresses. After a lengthy debate where that person was getting information and I wanted to know the references I was told to just “Google it” I told the person in one post that if you can’t back your sources you are peddling “fake news” and asked again for more facts. I was then told that the poster did not have time so “Google”
MidJersey.news is committed to factual, accurate reporting and does not pedal Fake News.
Photos by: Dennis Symons, Jr. – MidJersey.news from Liberty State Park
NORFOLK, Virginia (NNS) — The Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) arrived in New York March 30, 2020 in support of the nation’s COVID-19 response efforts.
While in New York, the ship will serve as a referral hospital for non-COVID-19 patients currently admitted to shore-based hospitals, and will provide a full spectrum of medical care to include general surgeries, critical care and ward care for adults. This will allow local health professionals to focus on treating COVID-19 patients and for shore-based hospitals to use their Intensive Care Units and ventilators for those patients.
Comfort is a seagoing medical treatment facility that currently has more than 1,200 personnel embarked for the New York mission including Navy medical and support staff assembled from 22 commands, as well as over 70 civil service mariners.
“The USNS Comfort arrives in New York City this morning with more than 1,100 medical personnel who are ready to provide safe, high-quality health care to non-COVID patients,” said Capt. Patrick Amersbach, commanding officer of the USNS Comfort Military Treatment Facility. “We are ready and grateful to serve the needs of our nation.”
Comfort’s primary mission is to provide an afloat, mobile, acute surgical medical facility to the U.S. military that is flexible, capable and uniquely adaptable to support expeditionary warfare. Comfort’s secondary mission is to provide full hospital services to support U.S. disaster relief and humanitarian operations worldwide.
“Like her sister ship, USNS Mercy (T-AH 19), which recently moored in Los Angeles, this great ship will support civil authorities by increasing medical capacity and collaboration for medical assistance,” said Rear Adm. John Mustin, vice commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command. “Not treating COVID-19 patients… but by acting as a relief valve for other urgent needs, freeing New York’s hospitals and medical professionals to focus on the pandemic.”
“This USNS Comfort team of Sailors, Marines and Civilian Mariners came together during the transit to New York City and our medical professionals are ready to begin receiving patients from local hospitals tomorrow,” said Capt. Joseph O’Brien, mission commander of Task Force New York City. “Our personnel are our strength—the men and women of our military services accomplish incredible things every day, and I am confident in their abilities as we start the next phase of this mission.”
The ship expects to begin receiving patients 24 hours after arriving in New York City. All patient transfers will be coordinated with local hospitals, thus ensuring a consistent handoff of care between medical providers. Patients will not be accepted on a walk-on basis, and should not come to the pier with any expectation that they can receive care.
“The last time that this great hospital ship was here was in the wake of 9-11, where she served as respite and comfort for our first responders working around the clock,” said Mustin. “Our message to New Yorkers – now your Navy has returned, and we are with you, committed in this fight.”
The U.S. Coast Guard is providing a security escort of USNS Comfort into New York Harbor, comprised of crews and assets from around the region to include the Coast Guard Cutter Shrike, Coast Guard Cutter Sitkinak, Maritime Safety and Security Team New York, Coast Guard Station New York, and Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod.
U.S. 2nd Fleet exercises operational authorities over assigned ships, aircraft, and landing forces on the East Coast and the Atlantic.
USNS Comfort is welcomed by the Statue of Liberty as seen from Liberty State Park, Jersey City
USNS Comfort is welcomed by the Statue of Liberty as seen from Liberty State Park, Jersey City
March 30, 2020 the USNS Comfort makes its way up the Hudson River to New York City, as seen from Liberty State Park, Jersey City. Photo by: Dennis Symons, Jr. MidJersey.news
ROBBINSVILLE, NJ (MERCER)–MidJersey.news continues to grow with 111,965 page views for and 20,294 visitors for January 2020.
November 2019 56,573 views 11,879 visitors (Made public Nov 5, 2019)
December 2019 38,626 views and 8,413 visitors
January 2020 111,965 page views and 20,294 visitors.
MidJersey.news is providing real news to undeserved areas of Mercer, Monmouth and Ocean counties. We simply do not just sit in the office and write about the news we go out and capture the news and bring it to you.
If you would like your organization’s events covered you can get in contact with us by hitting the contact link on the main page we will get back to you and let you know if we can cover your event. If we can’t get there send in your story and photos.
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Some have asked about supporting the website though advertising or a sponsorship. Hit the contact link and let us know what you can provide.
ROBBINSVILLE, NJ (MERCER)– MidJersey.news was officially open about month month ago. Since making the site public it has received 62,400 page views by 13,167 visitors. Visitors read an average 4.7 stories per visit.
On this site there are 107 stories/posts all written in the past month or so.
If you have been reading the site regularly so much news happens that things move down the news feed quickly so use the following to help navigate the site so you don’t miss a story.
Eight stories were published yesterday and stories within the past week are still relevant so sign up for e-mail and check the Latest 50 stories in the right reading pane.
If you are a first time visitor or you want to see stories related to your town, use the category buttons at the top of the page to help navigate to the town or news interest.
Other ways to navigate the website is the search box on the left reading pane for a detailed search of all stories posted. There is a “category” drag down box just below the search box to help locate what you are looking for.
MidJersey.news right now just has advertising that is provided by the web hosting company. In the future once established local advertising will be available. I want to get the site up and going and produce a great product before launching advertising.
You can support this website now by every so often clicking on the advertisements on the web page.
Another way to support the website and to see all the videos first is “subscribe” to my YouTube Channel. There are over 100 videos posted on that channel some videos are from my archives of news videos back when working for WZBN in Hamilton. The YouTube Channel needs to get to 1,000 “subscribers” so take a second and hit the subscribe button on there.
95% of the photography on this page comes from myself and I have art available for sale at Dragonfly Design Studio at 6 Church Street in Allentown. There is also a large canvas of the old mill available in the Moth Coffee House. Stop in and check out those local businesses and my other work. I am also available for photography check out my website and Facebook site.
Why call it “MidJersey” news? Central Jersey seems to be hijacked by an area well north of our area and even areas well above the Rartain River. Years ago we had a trivia argument where the exact center of the State of NJ was. I e-mailed the USGS US Geological Survey were the exact center of the State of NJ is and they thought that was a great question and responded after some researching the topic. The reply I received that stated that if you used a computer model with the area and shape of New Jersey and filled it with liquid the balancing point would be in Hamilton Township along the marsh lands of the Crosswicks Creek. Hamilton Township would be the mid-point of New Jersey and the scientific center of New Jersey. Sorry to the folks north of the Raritan River you are “North Jersey”
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